A few weeks ago I saw a sight that strengthened my belief in God and renewed my pride in Star of Hope. I watched as homeless men pitched in and helped build a house for a homeless family.

Houston Habitat for Humanity constructs simple, affordable houses for qualified families in need of shelter. On October 12th, this volunteer driven organization invited Star of Hope clients from our Men at Work Program to join their effort in the Fifth Ward for a few days. About a half dozen of our men took part in the project as part of their program’s work therapy.

The men were primarily involved in the construction of the exterior shell of the house which included raising the wall frame, installing sheathing, bracing the structure, vinyl siding, installing insulation and roof trusses. The work was hard and the days were long and hot. The project foreman remarked that Habitat would have been behind schedule if they didn’t have the help from the Star of Hope Men’s Development Center.

During a break, I asked one of the Mission’s workers about the irony of building a house that he wasn’t going to live in. As he answered, he held up a hammer and nails – like another wise Carpenter from centuries ago. He said “This is what I’m supposed to be doing right now. My time will come when He knows I’m ready … and I’m trying to be worthy of that chance.”

As the sun set and the house took shape around me, I realized that these men weren’t just constructing a home for a grateful family – they were building a bridge to their own future using Hope and Faith as their blueprint.